“Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for far too long,” said Chris Newkirk, president of commercial and money movement solutions at Visa. He added that the integration aims to reduce reliance on locked-up capital and transform treasury operations.
“Visa Direct’s new stablecoins integration lays the groundwork for money to move instantly across the world, giving businesses more choice in how they pay.”
Visa Unlocking Liquidity and Efficiency
The pilot is targeted at banks, remittance providers, and financial institutions looking to improve liquidity management. Instead of tying up fiat currencies across multiple markets, participants can pre-fund Visa Direct with stablecoins, which Visa is treating as cash equivalents for initiating payouts.
Stablecoin pre-funding is expected to help free up working capital, reduce exposure to foreign exchange risks, and improve predictability in cash flows. These benefits may prove especially valuable during weekends and off-hours, when legacy banking systems typically halt settlement processes.
Visa reported that it has already processed more than $225 million in stablecoin settlements, though this figure is a small fraction of its $16 trillion annual payment volume. The pilot is currently restricted to partners meeting Visa’s internal requirements, with a broader rollout expected in 2026.
Industry Momentum for Blockchain Payments
Visa’s move comes just one day after Swift announced a partnership with Ethereum developer Consensys and over 30 financial institutions to build a blockchain-based settlement platform designed for 24/7 real-time payments. The announcements highlight growing momentum in shifting cross-border money flows away from slow, legacy rails toward blockchain-driven solutions.
Meanwhile, crypto payment startups are also attracting investor backing. Last week, RedotPay, a stablecoin-focused payments company, achieved unicorn status after securing $47 million in a strategic round led by Coinbase Ventures, with participation from Galaxy Ventures and Vertex Ventures.
In the same week, infrastructure startup Bastion raised $14.6 million from investors including Sony, Samsung Next, Andreessen Horowitz, and Hashed.
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